Ash trays



Jan. 31, 1956 M v v o 2,732,968

ASH TRAYS Filed Aug. 12, 1955 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j 22 JNVENTOR. if mmVwoza 16 ATTORNEY Tv Jan. 31, 1956 v vo o 2,732,968

ASH TRAYS Filed Aug. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllllan 'llll'll14111111,

3 7 45 Q 46' mam-mm INVENTOR.

United States PatentO ASH TRAYS Michael D. Vivolo, New York, N. Y.

Application August 12, 1953, Serial No. 373,713

Claims. (Cl. 220-205) This invention relates to smokers ash receivers,and has for one of its objects the provision of a device of thischaracter which will receive and collect ashes from cigars andcigarettes in an efiicient and sanitary manner.

It is another object of the invention to provide an ash receiver capableof one-handed operation and by means of which the top or closure memberof the receiver can be opened and closed by one-fingered operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a closure means for anash receiver in the form of a pivotal plate which can be caused to swingto open or closed position by pressure imposed on a projection on top ofthe ash receiver.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an ash receiver ofsimple construction to effectively receive ashes; which can be easilycleansed of its accumulated contents and which will operate to confinethe ashes and cigarette butts in a closed chamber.

With these objects, and other objects to be hereinafter set forth inview, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing,-wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is atop plan view of an ash receiver constructed in accordancewith the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the ash receiver;

Fig. 3 is a view looking at the under side of the cover member of top ofthe ash receiver, showing the closureplate operating mechanism;

. Fig. 4 is a front view, with parts in section, of the closure-plateoperating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a view looking at the opposite side of the above mechanism; 7

Fig. 6 is an end view of the above mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a view looking at the underside of the cover member, of theembodiment shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of portions of the cover member and closureplate, showing the pivot for the closure plate and the torsional springsurrounding the same; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view through a portion of the cover member,showing the finger-piece and slot therefor.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to the embodiment of theinvention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 1 indicated generally thebody of the ash receiver. The same includes a bottom or tray portion 2,and a top or cover member 3. These parts are fitted together in anysuitable manner, as by a telescopic fit; by threads or by bayonet joint,or in anyother manner permitting them to be readily separated by manualoperation, to enable the bottom or tray portion 2 to be emptied of theaccumulated ashes and cigarette or cigar butts.

The top or cover member 3 is annular or of ring shape and is thusprovided with the central opening 4, through which ashes, cigarettebutts, etc., are deposited to fall into the bottom or tray portion 2.and be held thereby.

2,732,968 Patented Jan. 31, 1956 The central opening 4 of the covermember 3 is normally closed by means of a closure-plate 5, pivotallymounted on a pivot screw 6 extended into the under side of the covermember 3. This arrangement is such that by the eccentric pivotalmounting of the closure-plate, it can be swung to open position, or thatshown in dotted lines in Fig. '1, by movement through the slot 7provided in the side wall of the top or cover member 3. When in saidopen position, the central opening 4 will then be unimpeded and ashesdropped therethrough will fall into and be collected by the tray orbottom element 2 of the ash receiver.

The means for causing pivotal movement of the closureplate 5 includes anangular bracket 8 which has a flange 9 attached to the under side of thetop or cover member 3 by means of screws 10 or similar fasteningelements.

The bracket also includes a downwardly-extending or vertical flange 11to which is pivoted, by the pivot pin 12, a triangulated rocking plate13. At its lower end, the rocking plate 13 is provided with a pair oflaterally-extending lugs indicated respectively at 14 and 15. Each ofsaid lugs takes under a plunger pin constituting a push button, the pinwhich engages the lug 14 being shown at 16 while that engaging the lug15 being shown at 17. These plunger pins are'slidable through openings18 formed in the top 3 of the receiver, and each of the pins is formedwith a shoulder 19 to prevent it from falling out of the receiver whenthe same is held upside down.

At the upper end of the rocking plate 13 is provided alaterally-extending lug 20 which pivotally receives one end of a link21, the opposite end of the link being in pivotal engagement with an ear22 formed on the closure plate 5. This coupling between the rockingplate 13 and the closure plate 5 is such as to cause the closure plateto be moved to its closed position, shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and2, when the rocking plate 13 is in one of its angular positions and tobe swung outwardly through the slot 7 to its open position, shown indotted line in Fig. 1, when the plate 13 is reversely pivoted. Therocking action of the plate 13 is attained by pressure imposed on one orthe other of the plunger pins 16 and 17 The closure plate 5 is held frominadvertent shift from either its closed or open position by means of acoil spring 23 having one end engaged with the lug 20 on the rockingplate 13 and its other end engaged with an ear 24 extending laterallyfrom the flange 11 of the bracket 8. A stop 25 limitsthe swing of theclosure plate 5 to its closed position by contact with a lug 26 providedat one edge of the closure plate.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved ash receiver will bereadily understood. The normal or closed position of the same is thatshown in full lines in Fig. 1, wherein the central opening 4 in the topof the receiver is closed at the bottom by the closure plate 5, and atthis time the push button or plunger pin 17 has its upper end projectingwell above the top or cover member 3 for easy finger engagement. Ifashes are deposited in the tray at this time, the same will fall on theclosure plate 5 and be held thereby. Finger pressure imposed upon theelevated plunger pin 17 will depress said pin and cause the same to rockthe plate 13 and cause the same, through its connection to the closureplate 5 by means of the link 21, to swing the closure plate 5 to itsopen position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As the closure plate 5 is pivotally swung to such open position, theashes resting on its upper face will be wiped off the same by contactwith the inner edge 27 of the top member surrounding the opening 4 andthe ashes will fall down into and be captured by the tray or bottommember 2 of the receiver. When the plunger pin 17 is depressed as abovedescribed, and the closure plate 5 is thus swung to open position, therocking movement of the plate 13 will cause elevation of the secondplunger pin, or that shown at 16, so that when the closure plate 5reaches its open position, the plunger pin 16 will be in an elevatedposition while that shown at 17 .Will be in lowered position. To movethe plate to its closed position merely requires manual depression ofthe plunger pin 16 whereupon the rocking plate 13 will be swung in adirection to cause the closure plate 5 to be moved back to its closedposition. It will be noted that the flange 11 of the bracket 8 is formedwith a cut-out or aperture 28 in a manner to clear the lug on therocking plate.

While it has been suggested that ashes can be deposited in the receiverwhile the plate 5 is in its closed position, and said ashes caused to bedropped in the tray or bottom of the receiver by the swing of the plate,the device can be used with the plate 5 in open position, and the ashesdropped directly into the bottom or tray portion, after which theclosure plate 5 is swung to closed position to cover and conceal thedeposited ashes. Regardless of the manner in which the device is used,it will be apparent that it is capable of simple one-handed push-buttonoperation. The device is cleaned of its contents by the easy removal ofthe bottom portion or tray of the receiver, and for convenience, the topor cover member 3 can be provided with depressions 30 or other suitablesupports for cigars or cigarettes.

For the purpose of more readily disclosing the construction of theoperating parts of the device, these parts are shown as exposed in thebottom or tray portion of the receiver. In actual practice, it ispossible that these parts of the device shall be enclosed in a suitablehousing to thereby keep the same free from contact with the ashesdeposited into the tray or bottom of the receiver.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive,theclosure plate 5 is shown as mounted upon a pivot pin on which the plateis swingable to open or closed positions. Surrounding the pivot pin 40is a torsional spring 41 having a projecting end 42 anchored in the topor cover member 3 as shown at 43. The opposite end 44 of the spring 40is engaged with the closure plate 5 in such a manner that the torsionaleffect of the spring tends to maintain the closure plate 5 in its closedposition as shown in Fig. 8. Extending upwardly from the top of theclosure plate 5 is a pin 45 terminating at the top in a knob 46 or otherprojection constituting a finger piece by means of which the plate maybe swung to open position against the torsional effect of the spring 41.The pin 45 is movable through an arcuate slot 47 provided inthe top orcover member 3 of the receiver.

In this embodiment of the invention, the closure plate is moved to openposition by pressure of the finger-against the knob 46 in a manner tomove the pin 45 through the slot 47 and thus swing the plate 5 to openposition, or that shown in Fig. 7. Upon release of pressure on the knobHaving described two embodiments of the invention, it

is obvious thatthesame is not to be restricted thereto, but

is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of theannexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An ash receiver having an ash-containing chamber and acentrally-apertured cover therefor, push-buttons operable through thecover, a rocking member pivotal below the cover and within the chamberand caused to rock by depression of one or the other of thepush-buttons, a pivoted closure plate adapted to normally close thebottom or the central-aperture in the cover, and means coupled to theclosure plate and to the rocking member by which pivotal movement ofsaid closure plate to either open or closed position is attained bydepression of one or the other of the push-buttons.

2. An ash receiver having an ash-containing chamber and acentrally-apertured cover therefor, push-buttons operable through thecover, a pivoted closure plate adapted to normally close the bottom ofthe aperture in the cover, and means coupled to the closure plate and tothe push buttons by which pivotal movement of said closure plate toeither open or closed position is attained by depression of one or theother of the push-buttons.

3. An ash receiver having a bottom, a centrallyapertured top fittingthereon, a pivotal plate carried by the top and normally closing thelower end of the aperture therethrough, a rocking member, a linkextending between said member and the pivotal plate and causing swing ofsaid plate to either open or closed position upon rocking movement ofsaid member, and a pair of push buttons operable on said rocking memberto rock the same to either of two positions.

4. An ash receiver having a bottom, a centrallyapertured top fittingthereon, a bracket secured to the under side of the top, a rocking platepivoted on the bracket, a closure plate pivoted on the under side of thetop, said plate in its closed position acting to close the lower end ofthe aperture in the top, a link extending between the closure plate andthe rocking plate whereby swinging of the rocking plate will move theclosure plate to either its open or closed position, and a pair ofpushbuttons in engagement with the rocking plate in a manner to causeone of the push buttons when depressed to swing the rocking plate in anopposite direction and pivotally move the closure plate to closedposition.

5. An ash receiver as provided for in claim 4, wherein a spring extendsbetween a portion of the rocking plate and the bracket, the push buttonsextending vertically through openings in the top, one of the buttonsbeing elevated when the other is depressed, and stop means for limitingthe swing of the closure plate to its closed position. V

References Cited in the file of, this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS216,985 Tyrrell July 1, 1879 295,432 Schilling Mar. 18, 1884 2,311,568Parkinson Feb. 16, 1943 2,559,361 Langel July 3, 1951 2,582,109 DeFeeIan. 8, 1952

